A Mellissa McKenzie masterclass drove Timboon to a commanding 26-goal victory over Panmure, earning new Demons coach Leah Sinnott a taste of success in her first outing.
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The first quarter saw a tight tussle between the Demons and the Bulldogs, with Timboon managing to eek out a three-goal lead at quarter-time, before ramping up its intensity while Panmure ran out of legs.
Blankets were passed around on the sidelines as the Demons extended their buffer in the second term and took a 13-goal into half-time.
Timboon seized control of the game in the third term as McKenzie picked off intercepts in the mid-court and created scoring opportunities seemingly at will, allowing the Demons to run out 56-32 winners.
Sinnott said McKenzie's closing speed meant the centre could often appear out of nowhere to force turnovers and claim possession.
"She read the play really well and had a fantastic game," the first-game coach said.
But while McKenzie was a standout, Sinnott said the win came off the back of the whole team's ability to constrict Panmure.
"It was a tight tussle in the first quarter, but all we could do was make sure we played a tight defensive game," she said.
"And in the end that pressure gave us balls to turn around and convert. So I think we won through tight defensive pressure and then our transition got better through attack as the game wore on."
Panmure playing-coach Stacey Dunkley said she was satisfied with her side's performance given no two players had ever stepped on court together.
"For us to come out like that was really good, but I think we need to work on coming forward to the ball and improve our spacial awareness," she said.
"It comes down to offering on the ball and re-offering and not running into each other's space at both ends of the court."
Dunkley said Alana Wilkins and Emily Byers were best-on for Panmure.
"They got hands on and contested right down through theirs ends, especially on the tall Hayley Plozza," she said.
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